


Deal With It

by Guardian_of_Hope



Series: Search, Rescue, & Retrieval, the Clones Era [9]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Reporter, Search and Rescue, The Republic Senate's full of idiots, new clones, new jedi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-02-02 21:42:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12734868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_of_Hope/pseuds/Guardian_of_Hope
Summary: The Senate, in their infinite wisdom, wants to see Kara in action without the 425th.  She must use a lifetime of experience to rescue a missing Padawan and protect a civilian observer in the process, without any familiar people around her.





	1. New Faces

**Author's Note:**

> This is after a time skip of about six months. People have been lost, been promoted, so on and so forth. To contrast to the TV show itself, it's about 4-6 weeks before the movie.

Perhaps it was fair to say that Kara was a bit spoiled.  She was used to having Jumper and Swoop in the cockpit flying her where she was needed.  Zip would probably be telling her about Lecern, and Blaze, now a Lieutenant in his own right, would have been checking everyone’s gear for their assignment.

Instead, she had a pilot who had never given her his name, a pack, and a datapad with Master Windu’s official briefing on it.  In her head was the Master’s unofficial briefing, and though she stared at the datapad, she was thinking about the Master’s words.  The Senate, in their great and bountiful wisdom, had decreed that she prove her skill, without the 425th, and that she would do so with a so-called observer along for the ride.

Because the thing they needed most in a warzone was a civilian.

To top it off, Kara had been yanked off a retrieval mission on a planet called Sanjou, where local custom had her trapped in a dress with enough layers and ties as to make it impossible to do anything useful.  The short hyperspace jaunt had made it nearly impossible for her to change, and wearing a get up that made Master Unduli’s Mirialan garb look positively spacious was not how she’d expected to meet the men she would have to lead on this mission.

“We’re coming out of hyperspace,” the pilot said.

“Go straight to the surface,” Kara replied.

“Ma’am?”  The pilot asked.

Kara narrowed her eyes, “Go to the surface.  Time is critical, and I don’t have anything to spare.”

“But the observer,” the pilot said.

“If they can’t figure out how to get to the surface base in four hours then that’s on them,” Kara said, rubbing her thumb over one of the scars on her wrist.  “Pass that one, that they’ve got four hours to get planetside or they’ll be left behind.”

“Ma’am,” The pilot said.

Kara couldn’t hold back the snarl that tore through her lips, “Pilot, do you have _orders_ to bring me to the damn ship?”

“No sir,” the pilot said finally.

“Then get me on that planet so I can do my kriffing job.”  Kara said.  There was a wealth of words she was tempted to use to express her opinion of matters, but two things held her back.  The first was the memory of Master Honso’s disappointed look, and the second was the unwanted acknowledgement that the pilot was not at fault in this farce.

“Yes sir,” the pilot said.

Kara ducked her head to hide a smile, because apparently asserting herself was enough to get her out of the realm of a ‘ma’am’, which Bounce and Rusty seemed to reserve for civilians and certain Jedi who were more pacifistic than Kara.

Once landed, Kara found herself facing the clone commander, who looked stoic but felt terrified.  Her briefing had included his designation, CC-621-8887, but not his name, and from the mix of emotions she was reading off him, he didn’t need her asking.

“Commander CC-621-8887?”  Kara said.

“Yes ma’am,” 8887 replied.

Kara pushed down her irritation, “I’m General Kara Saje.  What’s the situation?”

“Situation?”  8887 asked.

“What have you done since General R’sh and Commander Li lost contact, what patrols are out, and what intelligence can you give me?  I’m at least four hours behind on information and I need a briefing,” Kara said.

8887 blinked, “We’ve been holding here, General.  Except standard patrols for enemy action, we haven’t done anything.  We did do a few flybys on the last known locations for the General and Commander, but there wasn’t anything there.”

Kara nodded, “All right, here’s your orders Commander.  There’s a case on board this ship, it’s black and russet.  I need that taken to a private room where I can change.  Second, I need maps.  I don’t care if they’re digital or plast, they just need to be accurate.  Third, prep a squad to go with me when I’m ready.  Speeder bikes, extra munitions, and a medic.  Fourth, get your captains together and stand by, I’ll have additional orders for you shortly.”  She paused, “Wait, and fifth.  There’s a Senatorial observer who’s supposed to be coming down soon.  Make sure they have a blaster if they’re willing to carry, and whatever extra they need, but do _not_ allow them access to the armory, motor-pool, barracks, or kitchen.  The commissary itself is fine, but they aren’t to go wandering the base at will.  They’re here to observe _me,_ not you.”  She studied 8887 for a moment, “Do you understand your orders?”

“Yes Ma’am,” 8887 replied.  “Maps are in command, which is in that building there.  Captain CC-621-9897 will be able to show them to you.  I’ll see your case is taken care of.”

“Thank you, Commander.  I anticipate needing a half hour before meeting with you and the Captains.”  Kara said and headed for the building 8887 had indicated.  It was with a supreme effort of will that she didn’t start tearing at the constricting dress as she moved, or fall over when the skirt wrapped around her legs.

Like so many of the basis Kara had seen since Geonosis, this one had a foyer with restrooms and at least one office before you reached the command center.  As Kara entered, she heard someone call, “Officer on deck!”

Kara gave a half bow in response to the salutes.  “Captain CC-621-9897?”

“Here, ma’am,” one of the clones said, he had a pair of scars that ran from his hairline to his jaw on his left side, and a cybernetic eye. 

“I’m General Kara Saje, 425th Search and Rescue.  I need maps, now.”

“Flemsi or,” the Captain hesitated.

“I don’t particularly care,” Kara said, “they’ll both do the job as I need them to.”

“Understood, ma’am, sir, uh,” again the Captain hesitated, flushing.

“General works until you figure it out,” Kara said dryly, “now, the maps?”

“Over here,” the Captain said, all but tripping over his feet to show her a stack of maps.

“Thank you,” Kara said.  “Now, what are the base coordinates?”

“We’re here,” the Captain reached over to point at the map.

“Captain,” Kara said, “I asked what the coordinates were, not for the ‘you are here’ sticker.”

“I’ll- I’ll get them for you,” the Captain said.

 Kara turned back to the maps, pulling the one that he’d indicated closer to her and studying it.  She shifted her stance slightly, opening herself to the Force as she trailed her fingers over the map.  She hesitated over two spots and let a smile slip across her lips.  Master Vos’s trick seemed to work as advertised.  Still, she’d look her way as well, just to confirm.

“Sir, the coordinates,” the Captain said, handing her another flemsi.

“Thank you,” Kara said absently.  She twisted the map slightly to fit the magnetic poles and began a calm breathing pattern.  Ignoring the now hovering officer, she let her eyes slide closed while reaching out in the Force.

When she opened her eyes, she smiled briefly to herself and nodded, pulling a grease marker from her pocket to mark the map in two places.  This was going to be an interesting rescue.  She turned to find the Captain still hovering, watching her with a mix of fear and hope.

“There’s something,” she told him, “I need to change though, and then that meeting with the Commander and you captains to get through.  Do you happen to know where the Commander sent my case?”

“No,” the Captain said, “but the Commander’s in the commissary with the Senate observer, he’ll know.”

“Wonderful,” Kara said, “is there someone who can show me the way?”

“Yes sir,” the Captain said, he turned, “Sergeant Killjoy.”

A trooper with a star constellation on his face stepped forward, he had the dour look of someone who wasn’t inclined to smile often.  “If you’ll come with me, General.”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Kara replied.

They headed across the base to the commissary, where the Commander was sitting with a familiar looking Weequay lady.  When Kara stepped inside, they both stood up.

“Master Saje,” the Weequay began.

“You’re the Observer?”  Kara cut in, “Then observe.”  She turned to the Commander, “My case?”

“I’ll show you,” the Commander said, “this way.”

With the Weequay following, Kara and the Commander headed to one of the barracks, one that was devoid of all personal touches, save for Kara’s box.

“Thank you, Commander,” Kara said, “will I be meeting you at the commissary or elsewhere for the meeting?”

“There’s space in the command building, room with a holotable that’s big enough for all of us,” the Commander said.

“Then I’ll meet all of you,” Kara gave the Weequay a pointed look, “there.”

“Master Saje,” the Weequay began.

“I’m about to strip naked,” Kara said, “I’m not particularly body-shy, but I’m not going to talk about whatever it is you’re so desperate to say while I’m changing.  I need a bit of space, if you don’t mind.”

The Weequay blinked and then inclined her head, “Of course, Master Saje, but I do insist on a few moments of your time soon.”

“After I’ve changed, while I’m gearing up,” Kara said, “it’ll give me time to factor in your needs with what orders I’m going to be giving.”

The Weequay followed the others out and Kara began stripping out of the uncomfortable dress.  When it was lying in a heap on the floor, Kara contemplated setting it on fire, but then turned away.  She had other things to focus on at the moment over dealing with a dress.  She pulled on her armor and went to let the observer in.

“Thank you, Master Saje,” the Weequay said.  “I am Nala Ossun.”

“I knew you were familiar,” Kara said, then winced, “Sorry.  It was, distracting me.”

Ossun smiled, “Yes, well, as I said, I have been sent by the Senate to observe your work.”

Kara nodded, “I was informed, Madam.  I apologize for my rudeness, but we have a narrow window of time to pull this off.”  She checked her belt, making sure her com and power packs were well positioned then hesitated for a moment before pulling out a roll of nerf hide.  “It is not your fault that this… decision has been made.  However, you must understand that I am here to save lives, and I will do so quickly and efficiently.”

“I understand,” Ossun said, “and forgiven.”

Kara unrolled the hide and ran her fingers over the tools within.  “Last time I had to establish my authority in this situation, I ended up putting one of them against the ceiling and they still managed to nearly derail the whole situation and I had my command with me.  When our troops find a Jedi who earns their trust, they will go through fire for them.  Someone like me?  I’m showing up at one of the worst moments of their lives, the Jedi they’re supposed to follow and protect is missing, and the Council sends them a girl who’s barely older than them.  I look young, I look green, and I cannot let them doubt that I can do my job.  So, I have to be hard, and I have to be mean, because otherwise, they’re going to doubt and falter and hesitate.”  Kara slipped a vibroblade into her boot and wrapped a garrote around her wrist like a bracelet.

“You have to admit, you are young,” Ossun said hesitantly.

“I’ve worked with Judicial since I _became_ a Padawan,” Kara replied.  She pulled on a necklace with a pendent that could nullify locks.  “It’s actually why I was chosen by Master Honso.  I had visions related to the kidnapping of some high-profile children.  When nobody would believe that it was going to happen, I infiltrated the kids’ group while they were on a field trip, got taken with the others, and busted them out.  Master Honso listened to me when I told him, and he was trying to get things in place when they realized I was missing.  When I got the kids out, he was waiting for us.  This is the path the Force gave me a long time ago.”

She checked the roll, but she didn’t think anything else would be useful today.

“I see,” Ossun said, “I read the briefing the Senate provided, but that, was not in there.”

Kara shook her head, “Master Honso got the credit, of course.  It was his case, after all.  I was just the Initiate acting rashly.  Now, is there anything I need to be aware of?”

“I’m to observe,” Ossun said, “I am to accompany you into the field on your rescue, and then I am to return and give a report to the Senate.  Secondarily, with permission, I’d like to also use some of my observations and recordings as part of a documentary on the war.”

“A documentary?”  Kara asked as she put her dress away reluctantly.  Maybe Rusty would teach her to use one of the long-range rifles with it.

“Yes,” Ossun said, “I was on the ground for the Naboo Occupation, Master Saje.”

Kara nodded, “You wore the wire and camera to film the camps, you and the other interns.  It made your career.”

“It did,” Ossun agreed quietly.  “I’m no stranger to danger, Master Saje.  We may sensationalize it for the news, but I have some experience.”

Kara picked up her pack and dumped it on the table, running her fingers over the different items she always carried.

“There are some rules you’ll have to follow,” Kara said as she checked the spare power packs.  “In the field, there’s one person in charge, and that person is me.  If I tell you to do something, you’ll do it.”

“I will,” Ossun agreed.

“If I say that the situation’s too hot and order you to leave, you’ll do it,” Kara said.

Ossun hesitated, then nodded, “Agreed.”

“I can’t influence your report, but I reserve the right to approve any footage of me for your documentary, _and_ I can get a Council member to look it over if I feel the need.”

Again, Ossun hesitated, then nodded, “Agreed.  However, if any of the Senate recordings are used in the documentary.”

“Those you can’t change,” Kara agreed, “public records and all that.”  She began to repack her bag, “I’m cautiously in favor of the documentary, as long as we can arrange for you to meet the 425th itself.  They deserve to be remembered for what they’re doing.”

“I’ll see what can be done,” Ossun said and offered her hand.

“Thank you,” Kara said, and shook Ossun’s hand quickly.  “Now, I have to go intimidate these officers into doing what needs to be done.”

“I look forward to seeing it happen,” Ossun replied.


	2. Command Meeting

Kara regarded the dozen men waiting for her in the commissary impassively.  She paused to nod to the Commander and give 9897 a slight nod when she saw he’d brought the map she’d marked with him.

“Thank you, Captain,” she said, holding out her hand, “I’d forgotten that.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, handing it over.

“Make sure that your copy gets shared with the pilots,” Kara added.  When he jerked slightly, she nodded slightly and unrolled the map on the table in front of the men, so they could all see it. 

“Now, your General and Commander are alive.  They’ve also been separated.  General R’sh has most of the command with him, and Commander Li has two men with him.  This makes the primary plan the simple one.  I’ll take the squadron that’s being prepared out to retrieve them one at a time, supported by gunships each carrying a squad.  In the primary plan, I’ll retrieve Li and his companions, see them out on a gunship and go on directly to the general, send him back with his people on additional gunships, and return with my squadron on the speeder bikes.  This is a gross oversimplification, but I’m sure we’re all aware that strategies seldom last past the first encounter with the enemy.”

The pause told her that she had their attention, for now.

“Things get interesting when that happens, so Commander, I’m not giving you step by step instructions.  Instead, I’m going to give you priorities, limits, and my needs, what you do thereafter is on you.  I happen to know that Kamino’s Command training is top notch, and no matter our _personal_ connections, you will be able to achieve your goals and objectives.”

The Commander nodded once, sharply.

“Now, step one is the presumption that we’ve gotten to the general, but trouble strikes on the way back.  In that situation, send three gunships, and request a squadron for air support from upstairs.  We’ll have to abandon the bikes, but the squadron is more important than the bikes.  If you’ve had enough trouble with supply as my people do, I’ll directly authorize the release of replacements from the 425th’s motorpool.  Agreed?”

“Agreed,” the Commander said.

“If trouble happens after we’ve retrieved the Commander, and are having difficulty extracting the General, I want you to send no less than a complete company out with coordinating air support.  Use the best transports you’ve got.”

“Understood,” the Commander said.

“Now, that’s if we reach General R’sh.  If we are stopped or heavily delayed from reaching him, you have his current coordinates, you send a company and extract him.”  Kara said, “And I’m not making that a general order because I don’t know what you’ll find when you get there.  I suggest, and you can make it an order if that’s what it’ll take, but get that ship upstairs.”

“The _Reckoning,”_ the Commander offered.

“The _Reckoning,”_ Kara nodded, “have them send a ship to do a flyby over the General before you leave.  If we’re at the point where you’re sending out a company to extract, then all hope of doing this quietly is so far out the airlock it’s in another system.”

“Understood, sir,” the Commander said.

Kara nodded, “Now, as for Commander Li, unless you lose contact with us without warning and we stay out of contact for more than four hours, I don’t want you to try anything.”  She leaned forward, looking up into the Commander’s eyes.  “A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind, centered on the Padawan.  I haven’t had time to seek what the Force is trying to say, but there’s going to be trouble, and a lot of it, when it comes to his part of this.  I need to be boots on the ground for this, because you may be trained in combat scenarios, but _I_ am trained in hostage negotiation and rescue tactics, and I am very, very good at them.”

“I follow your lead,” the Commander managed to say after a moment.

Kara smiled, “Thank you.  Now, one more thing, our Senate observer.  Madame Ossun will be accompanying me into the field as per Senate requirements, however we have both agreed that when I say the situation is too hot, she will be extracted.  If the call is made to extract Madame Ossun, I expect a gunship with two squads to make the run.  The squads will remain, while Madame Ossun and any wounded on my part will return.”

“I’ll make it happen,” The Commander said.

Kara nodded and straightened up, keeping her face neutral even as her fingers curled inwards in a sharp, sudden cramp.  “Now, let me know if there’s any other authorization you need from me, and have the squadron going out with me ready for a briefing in, twenty minutes.  I’ll be here, but I need to look in the Force and see if there are any significant warnings that need to be taken into account.”

She slid her pack off and pulled out her datapad, claiming a seat at the table.  It took her long moments to reach the right mind set to channel the Force visions, she was shaking so much inside.  She didn’t like acting like that, but she had to.  Like she’d told Ossun, she couldn’t let them see her as anything other than assured and prepared, and hard and mean.  There could be only one General on the base, and that General was her, as much as she wished it were otherwise.

Finally, she managed to push all of that out into the Force and the drawings came.  As men moved around her and things changed, she drew.  Faces, first, suggestions of the faces of surviving Padawans of Geonosis.  Then a long thin line that she recognized as rope, a lot of it.  Then an odd ‘x’ shape that she colored red, finally another familiar face, a Weequay she’d met before.

Kara slipped free of the Force and looked up.  A dozen men, Ossun, and the Commander were watching her.  She closed the datapad and put it away.

“Sir,” the Commander said.

Kara tilted her head, “Did you fight in the battle of Geonosis, Commander?”

“No sir,” the Commander said.

“Of the 236 Jedi in that kill box, 36 of them were Padawans.  After the troops arrived to pull us out, there were maybe a dozen of us who survived.  We were all seniors in that arena, and none of us were under our species majority.  The survivors were all Padawans who had begun preparations for their Trials.  We were within a year of being Knighted even without the war.  Threat aside, Padawan Li is sixteen, and while I acknowledge the value of Master R’sh, I wouldn’t be the _person_ that I am if I didn’t make my plans for retrieving Padawan Li before Master R’sh.”

Looking at the Commander, Kara saw it, the moment he understood.  He nodded slightly.

“Thank you,” Kara said.  She turned slightly, her gaze sweeping over the rest of the men.

“This is the squadron who will accompany you,” the Commander said.

“I see,” Kara said, she turned to the Commander, “I would like to speak to them in private, Commander.  Would you be so kind as to arrange for us to bring several of the longest ropes you have in your supplies.”

“I’ll see it done,” the Commander said with a quick bow.

Once the door was shut, Kara gestured, “Have a seat, and please, tell me your names.”

They sat carefully, slowly exchanging glances.  Kara wondered at that, but she’d heard that some of the Jedi were more strict about protocols than others.

“I’m Cheer, the Lieutenant of Green Three,” the man directly across from her said.  He had three green bands on his shoulders with two black stars above them.  “My squadron is, Sergeant Moon.”  He had the same green bands, but only one black star, and a tattoo that peeked over the top of the neck of his blacks on the left hand side.  “Ruin.”  Another three bands, but no star.  He also had what Kara recognized as the Mando’a word for Ruin on his left forearm.  “Jester.”  Three bands, no star, a burn scar on his neck and left jaw, he also had tally marks on his right forearm.  “Chuckles.”  Three bands, no star, a set of teardrops at the outside corner of his eyes and a trio of teardrops on his left breast.  “Fool.”  Three bands, no star, and he was missing part of his right ear.  He also had a row of diamonds across the top of his chest plate in the same green as his band.  “Typh.”  The same bands, but no other decoration.  His only defining marks were that he’d been shaved completely bald, and a short scar above his left ear was present.  “Reese.”  Who had painted green stripes down the edges of his chest armor and legs, and had startlingly white hair.  “Blindside.”  Who had the palest blue eyes Kara had seen on a clone, he had painted the crest on his helmet green and he carried the range visor.  “Punch.”  Who hilariously had a black eye and a missing tooth, and had tally marks on his left forearm.  “Our medic is Corporal Max.”  Max had three green bands, but his star was red and under it was the medical symbol.  He had silver wings in his close dark hair and a scar that passed just under his left ear and looked like a blaster burn that had just missed a full impact.

“Lieutenant Cheer,” Kara repeated, “Sergeant Moon, Ruin, Jester, Chuckles, Fool, Typh, Reese, Blindside, and Corporal Max.”  She nodded slightly, and gestured, “This is Madam Nala Ossun, a senatorial observer who will be shadowing me on this mission.  Lieutenant, I need a minimum of two people assigned to her as PSD until I order her to be extracted or we’re back on base.  If it comes to a firefight, it should be three.”

“I have medical training,” Ossun offered as she carefully joined them, “I’m a certified first responder.  I’ve been to enough strife-torn worlds to know how to help with blaster burns and the like.”

“Lieutenant,” Kara said.

After a moment of staring at her blankly, the Lieutenant seemed to shake himself, “Corporal, you’re on Madame Ossun.  Jester, Fool, you as well.”

“Yes sir,” the trio said, also after a delayed moment.

Kara wondered at that, what their General had done to make them hesitate like that.  Did he not respect the chain of command?  She’d struggled a bit, until she realized that’s what her officers were for, to get the things done that she told them to do.

Instead of questioning, Kara studied the men for a moment.  “How much more time do you need before departure?”  She asked finally.

“As soon as the Commander sends the rope, we’re ready,” Cheer said promptly.

“Excellent,” Kara said, taking a step back and looking over the group.  “Then, let me explain what we’re planning to do, and we can get out of here.”  She took the map and drew it where they could all see it, letting her finger fall on the dot that represented the Padawan-Commander.

/././.\\.\\.\

After the briefing, they headed out to the speeders.  Kara scans them and realizes the problem in an instant, “Okay, small problem.”

The way everyone looked at her made Kara want to cringe and blush, so she lifted her chin instead, “Problem, sir?”  Cheer asked.

“I can’t drive,” Kara said.  “I need to be able to track with the Force, and keep an eye out for unexpected trouble.  I can’t drive a speeder and do that.”

“Track?”  Cheer said.

Kara nodded, “I’m pretty good at finding Jedi with minimal displacement, but for a more refined location, I need to get closer.  Also, I’ve got a good sense for things like ambushes.  It’s easier for me to get in position to defend if I don’t have to worry about a speeder bike crashing into someone, or a wall, for that matter.  Cuts down on our requisitions too.”  She shrugged, “Not to mention I apparently have developed a talent for blowing them up.”

“Sir?”  Cheer asked, concerned.

“Oh, one of them was a bomb,” Kara admitted, thinking of the cold of Aurin.  “But most of it was just random mechanical failure.  I think it has to do with the way I drive, how I use the Force, but I’m not sure.  Now, let’s get these supplies redistributed so that I can ride with someone, and let’s get out of here.”

Cheer nodded, “You heard the General,” he said, gesturing.

The supplies were quickly redistributed, not just from Kara’s bike, but from the one set aside for Nara Ossun as well.  That had been Kara’s call, figuring that putting Ossun with Max from moment one would be safer than having her on a separate bike that could have been easily separated.  While moving things around, Kara had made sure to snag the Sergeant’s arm and instructed him to make sure that their medic was protected.  She had a feeling they would be exceptionally grateful for the man’s talents before too long.

Finally, however, Kara was swinging up behind Cheer on his bike while Ossun settled behind Max.  Even knowing that Cheer wasn’t Chip or Rusty, her usual drivers, Kara found it almost comforting to settle her hands on the white armor and duck her head behind the helmet to protect her from the worst of the wind.  It wasn’t comfortable to wear a helmet for Kara, she was far too aware of the world to put up with having that barrier between her and what she felt.

Helmet, to Kara, and to a lesser extent gloves, often felt like a barrier to the world.  She felt like she was unable to connect with some vital part of the world around her when she used them.  She’d learned to tolerate gloves in a crime scene, but it would take a Council order to get her to wear a helmet when she had better defenses with the Force.

So, she instead kept her face out of the speeder’s wind as she closed her eyes and reached ahead, seeking warnings and the presence of a young Padawan Commander that she’d been sent to find.


	3. On the Road

Perhaps it was some strange quirk of fate, but it was getting late enough that Kara wanted to call a break to move around when her instincts went on alert.  They were in the midst of a forest, the trees overgrown, but the road they followed clear and paved.  It was the sort of place that could be an ambush point, if the other side had enough warning of their coming.  With her senses ramping up for a fight, Kara flipped herself off the bike instantly, saber flying into position to block two sniper shots before she’d landed.

It had been a while since she’d been ambushed.  In the interests of speed, Knight Squadron tended to take routes that avoided known droid concentrations, and that were less apt to have ambush points.  Usually, Blaze would have been studying topography and suggesting routes from the moment they had a target area.

She’d almost forgotten how it felt to have to hold a defensive line while the rest of the squad reacted to her.

It was a moment suspended in forever, her blade slicing around to pick off incoming bolts, until finally her people were responding.  Kara carefully began backing up, half her attention on the people behind her and her feet, while the other half continued blocking direct shots at here.

Finally, she was in the trees, and then ducking down behind a tree thick enough to serve for cover.

“Do you do that a lot?”  Cheer asked, his eyes wide and wild.

“Only when I have to,” Kara replied, pulling her blaster and moving to take a shot.  She pointed towards one of the trees further down the road, with enough branches that it looked easy to climb.  “Get someone up that tree to tell us what we’re dealing with.  We need numbers, locations, and a path of least resistance.”

“A what?”  Cheer asked.

Kara took another shot before she answered, “We have to keep going, Lieutenant.  I know that leaving a fight isn’t pleasant, but we have a mission to do.  Getting past this is more important than taking them down to the last man.  Once we’re clear, we can call for an air strike to clear the road back.”

When Cheer still stared at her, Kara growled under her breath and moved, leaping into the air and scrambling up her chosen tree so that she had a clear look down the road without being visible from the ground.  As she settled herself on a branch, she promised herself that there was going to be words with their General.  There was leading the men, and then there was micromanaging to the point where you had to either do everything yourself or lay it out in precise detail in advanced, and neither of them were conducive to fast response times.

Mindful of her precarious position, and the limited amount of time they had to work with, Kara brought her mind back on task and leaned over enough to see clearly around the trunk.  There was a river ahead, and the road forked.  One fork went over a bridge and beyond, the other fork turned to follow the road, heading out of sight quickly.  On the bridge was a tank, and there were several droids around it.  Kara sighed and reached out in the Force, quickly confirming that the Padawan was located beyond the river.

Taking another long look, Kara dropped out of the tree, using the Force to control her fall so that she landed not too far from Cheer.

“Lieutenant?”  Kara said as she slid off her pack and pulled out her datapad, looking for the topography maps of the area.

“Sir?”

“If I were to tell you that the road ahead forked, with one side being heavily fortified, and the other not appearing that way, which would you think is our route?”  Kara asked, tilting the datapad for him to look at as well.

Cheer frowned as he leaned over, “We’re in a hurry, wouldn’t it be the path that is not fortified?”  He pointed at the screen, “Wait, there’s that river, isn’t there?  Is Commander Li on the other side of the river?”

Kara nodded, forcing her face to calm, rather than amused.

“I’m going to guess our path is through those fortifications,” Cheer said as he looked from her to the datapad and back.  “Or go about fifty miles down to the next clear crossing.”

“Right,” Kara said.

“Shall I radio for support?”  Cheer asked after a longer moment.

Kara tilted her head slightly, “I think that we can get through, with some judicious demo work.  Do you have a demolitions specialist?”

“No,” Cheer said.

“I have charges,” one of the others said suddenly, shifting closer to them.  When Kara looked over at him, the trooper, Reese if Kara was right, ducked his head a bit.  “I grabbed extra charges on the way out, it, it felt necessary, sirs.”

“You know, one of these days, we’re going to ask about demolitions and you’re not going to have them,” one of the others said from behind Reese, “and when that day comes, we’ll all drop dead out of shock.”

“Reese, right?”  Kara asked as Reese twisted to glare at the other trooper.

“Yes sir,” Reese said with a quick salute.

“I’ll want to talk to you in a minute,” Kara said, before turning back to Cheer.  “Lieutenant, in your opinion, if most of the heavy fire power is on one road, while the other appeared free, what would your thought be?”

“Ambush?”  Cheer said hesitantly after a long minute.

“And if you knew your path was through the heavy fire power?”  Kara pushed.

“Trap,” Cheer said finally, firmly.

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Kara said.  She glanced through the trees towards the bridge for a long moment, thinking.  This wasn’t her strong suit, and the men around her were uncertain of their actions.  She took a deep breath, releasing her anger at their general for stealing that confidence from them.  As she sat back, a thought came to her, a mission.

“Of course,” she breathed.

“Sir?”  Cheer asked.

Kara grinned, “I know how to even the odds a bit.  I’m going to need those charges, Trooper, and back up.”

“Is everything okay?”  Cheer asked.

Kara smiled at him, “Nothing to worry about, Lieutenant.  My Captain did something like this once, I can do this with a little help.  What I need from you is for you to listen to and follow my orders, got it?”

“Yes sir,” Cheer said.

“What your job is, is to wait here with everyone.  When you get my signal, you’ll head up the road and over the bridge as fast as you can.  Reese and I will follow you, minus the time it takes us to get back to the bike.”

“What are we going to do?”  Reese asked.

“I’m going to use the Force to plant those detonators in key places, while you watch my back.  Then we’ll set them off, return to the bike, and get out of there.”

“Are you sure we can do this?”  Reese asked.

“Very sure,” Kara said.  “All you have to do is make sure nobody surprises me.”  She glanced at Cheer, “Do you understand your part?”

“What’s the signal?”  Cheer asked.

“The explosion that takes out the tank,” Kara replied.  “That goes off, you go for it.  Reese and I will catch up on the other side.  Make sure you go at least two kilometers passed the bridge before you stop, though.”

“Understood.”  Cheer said.

Kara gestured to Reese, “We’ll leave the bike over here, and pulled back up the road a bit.  Let’s go.”

They moved away from the others, first deeper into the forest, and then backtracked until they were unlikely to draw attention.  Once they were across the road, Kara glanced over at Reese, “Something on your mind?”

“It’s not important,” Reese said.

“But it’s on your mind,” Kara said.  “Permission to speak freely granted.”

“It’s just, you didn’t seem surprised,” Reese said, “and it’s not my place, but this sounds like a trap.”

“I wasn’t surprised, because I had an idea that we’d run into trouble.  What I could detect of Padawan Li’s whereabouts, and the vision, suggested that there was more going on than a simple case of a lost Padawan.”

“Why not tell the Lieutenant?”  Reese asked.

Kara considered a moment, “Because I need him to act and react naturally.  He’s got enough information to be suspicious, so he’ll prepare accordingly.  He also has an outline of what to do if things go belly up, you heard me give him those orders.  He doesn’t need me to hold his hand and think for him, that’s what Kamino taught him to do.”

Reese was silent for a long moment.

“We need to move,” Kara said.

They slipped through the forest quietly, one after the other until Reese signaled a stop.  Kara eased ahead until she could see what Reese had seen.  She kept her face impassive even as her heart rate increased.  Super battle droids.  She hadn’t personally fought them since her knighthood, and before that she’d only faced them with her Master with her.

“They’re on standby,” Reese said quietly, “look at their left wrist.”

Barely visible was an orange light at the joint.

Reese reached into his pack and produced some detonators, “We should see them taken care of.”

“Right,” Kara said.

She lifted her hand and one of the detonators rose in the air, then went to settle just underneath the first SBD’s chest plate.  It was a work of moments to situate the other three detonators on the other three SBDs.

“Let’s go,” Kara said finally.

Their next interruption was a trio of droidekas, also on standby.  This time, Reese produced some of the so-called droid poppers and Kara carefully placed them on the droidekas’ shield generators.

Finally, they reached the river road, where they could clearly see both the blockade and some of what awaited them on the seemingly easier route.  Reese and Kara exchanged glances and got to work.  Carefully, one at a time, Kara sent out the magnetized munitions to attach to the tank and the SBDs and droidekas that lined the supposedly safe route.  While part of Kara wondered what had really prompted Reese to collect all the demolitions he could get away with, she was also grateful.  Without it, they would have been hard pressed to pull it all off.

Once they were done, Kara tucked some of the extra demolitions into her vest as they returned to their crossing point.  There, Reese pulled out the detonator and set off the bombs on the SBDs, followed moments later by the droidekas before passing Kara the detonator.  With a bright grin, Kara hit the button that would clear the bridge for her squad, as well as clear out the possibility of an ambush.  Then they raced across the road and back to the bike.

As they pulled back onto the road, Kara gasped, because there were two troopers in the road.  One of them lay with the stillness that came with death, but the other was standing and firing on an approaching pair of droids.

“We can carry three,” Reese called over his shoulder.

“Then let him know we’re coming,” Kara called back, cursing her lack of a wrist communicator yet again.

When they got close enough for Reese to open fire, the trooper turned and put his arm out.  Kara reached out and hooked it, pulling him onboard as much with the Force as with her own strength.  Then they were across the bridge and past the ambush.

They found the rest of the squad waiting at the half kilometer mark, where Max was bandaging one of the others.

“What happened?”  Kara demanded as their rescued trooper got off the bike.

Cheer, helmet off and looking nervous, saluted, “Sir, uh, I failed to, to make sure it was the right explosion.”

Kara, about to get off the bike, sat back down as she understood, “There were three explosions, not one.”

“Yes sir,” Cheer said.

Kara forced herself to smooth out her expression and released her feelings into the Force.  “I’m sorry,” she said, “we should have, have clarified.”

“My fault sir, I didn’t put up a look out,” Cheer countered.

Kara dismounted the speeder and squared her shoulders, “Were there any injuries?”

“Blindside’s been winged,” Max reported from beside the mentioned clone.  “We lost Typh.”

Kara nodded, “When we get out of here, I would be honored if you would join me for a private remembrance.  That must wait, however.  We still have a mission to complete, and people who are counting on us to get to them.  Everyone take a breath, take care of your needs, and we’ll be moving out in an hour.”

“Excuse me,” Ossun said as the men began to move around.

“Yes, Madam Ossun?”  Kara asked as she slid off her pack and dug out her water bottle.

“A private remembrance?”  Ossun said.

Kara smiled slightly, “I’m from Ilan.  While the Jedi are my people, I do honor my heritage in simple ways.  My armor is Ilandrian, for instance.  The Ilan have a custom for honoring the dead that I have adopted and share with my men.  I didn’t know Typh personally, but he was under my command, and I will honor him for that.  If you’ll excuse me?”

“Of course,” Ossun said.

Kara headed over to Max, “How’s Blindside, Corporal Max?”

“He’ll be fine,” Max replied.  “It just scorched his armor is all.”

“Ruined the paint job,” muttered Blindside.

“Just means that you have an excuse to add to it,” Kara replied, patting Blindside’s shoulder.  “I’m glad you’re okay.”

An hour later, they were on their way again, and not long after, the forests gave way to grasslands, the kind that were so flat that once the trees had vanished, it was like they rode in the center of a giant blue bowl.

The road curved away not long after the trees were out of sight and Kara, still riding with Reese, signaled for them to keep going straight, trading road for endless grass.  Kara kept her focus ahead on the Padawan they were tracking towards.  He wasn’t too far away now.

Suddenly, the bikes all stopped.  Kara used Reese’s shoulders to balance herself to stand up and look.  The ground fell away before them, and she couldn’t see the ground, only spires rising upwards.

“We’re almost there,” Kara said, “we need to keep going.”

“Blindside, Ty-, no Punch, see if there’s a way,” Cheer ordered.

Kara slid off Reese’s bike as the two troopers dismounted and headed forward.  Kara moved forward, resting a hand on Reese’s bike.

“Sir?”  Reese asked.

“A moment,” Kara said.  She closed her eyes and reached out in the Force, letting her body turn as she tried to get a more definite read on Padawan Li’s possession.

“There’s a way down,” Punch called as the pair returned, bringing Kara back to herself.

“It’s not far,” Kara said, “we need to go slow, and keep your eyes out.  I’m sensing a lot of beings down there that aren’t friendly.”

“We’ll be ready,” Cheer promised as she returned to her seat behind Reese.

They headed down and Kara directed them to one of the larger spires.  As much as she could feel the Padawan, there was a sense of menace around the spire.  Kara signaled a stop and dismounted to walk around the spire.

“Sir, a cave,” Cheer called softly.  Kara hurried around to regard the cave and nodded slightly.  “Jester, Punch, Corporal Max, and Madam Ossun, hold out here while we investigate.  If we lose contact, then get back up top and signal the Commander.”

“General,” Ossun began.

“I’d really rather not risk your life, Madam,” Kara began, then jerked up, calling her saber to hand.  “Incoming!”  SBD dropped from the surrounding spires, from concealment, and Kara swore as she activated her lightsaber.  “Get your back to the wall and stay down,” Kara ordered Ossun as the squad arranged themselves to face the super battle droids.

Trusting her squad to shoot the droids and not herself, Kara moved, targeting the closest of the SBD.  It wasn’t easy, but Kara had learned how to do this, and even if it had been a while, she could still dodge and stab with intent.

“Cheer,” Kara called, “Get everyone into that cave, keep together.  I’m last in.”

“Yes sir,” Cheer called back.

Kara closed her eyes, almost hearing her people argue with her even as she dodged a shot from another SBD and leaped up to position herself to decapitate and then dismantle the droid.  It was a bit disconcerting to work with people who obeyed her without asking questions.

Still, Kara found it easy to track her people in the Force, including a few bright flares of pain that suggested someone had been hurt.

“Clear sir,” Cheer called, and Kara used another SBD as a launch point to flip and land just outside the cave.  Switching from attack to defense, Kara blocked blaster shots as she backed up, allowing her men to shoot past her into the gathering of droids.  About a foot into the cave, there was a humming sound, and then a ray shield snapped into place between Kara and the droids.  Kara tapped her blade against the wall, watching it snap and spit, and then turned to look at her people.

Max had his kit unpacked and was working with Ossun to bandage up one of the others, Punch, Kara thought.  Cheer was leaning against the wall of the cave, staring at her and the shield.  Reese had his own pack in hand and Kara knew he was plotting how to blow their way out.  Everyone else was standing, uncertain, looking from Moon to Cheer and then to her.  Kara clipped her lightsaber to her belt and squared her shoulders.  It was time to figure out what they’d gotten themselves into now.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The cave itself was large enough they weren’t tripping over each other, and besides the still shielded and guarded exit, there were two other tunnels.  Kara studied them and then turned to Cheer, “Put a guard on these, I need a moment.”

“Yes sir,” Cheer replied.

Kara settled on a waist high rock and pulled her datapad from her pack.  She held it for a moment, breathing softly, and then took the stylus and reached for the Force.  It wasn’t a surprise to find that most of what she drew was the same as before, and Kara nodded.  They were still on the path, for good or for ill.  All she needed now was to get Padawan Li out of this place in one piece.

“Lieutenant Cheer, Sergeant Moon, and Corporal Max,” Kara said, sliding off the rock.

“Sir?”  Cheer asked.

“We’re splitting into three groups.  Corporal, you’re here with Blindside and Jester.  If the shield goes down and you can get out, get in contact with the Commander and get him moving.  Tell him to get the General and then come back us up.  If you can’t get out, and the shield goes down, then you are to regroup with Lieutenant Cheer.  Sergeant Moon, you, Reese, Ruin, and Madame Ossun are with me.  We’re taking the right-hand tunnel.  From this point forward, your job is to shadow Madame Ossun and keep her with me.  Lieutenant, you have the left tunnel.  Travel as far as you can safely, try to find another way out of here or any other information.  Do not allow anyone to do anything alone, your job is to get us out.  I’m going after Padawan Li.”

“Sir, wouldn’t it make more sense for you to take as many men as possible?”  Cheer asked.

“This isn’t that kind of fight,” Kara said.  “I know what I’m facing, and this is the best division of labor.  I know I’m not your General, but I am a General, and this is my specific training.  Trust me, Lieutenant, you will be exactly where you need to be when the moment comes.  I need you to get the Commander moving.”

Cheer swallowed a few times, looking oddly haunted, before he saluted.  “Understood sir.”

Kara nodded, “Keep in touch with the Corporal, but don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from us.  Things are going to be heating up.”

“Understood,” Cheer said.

Kara moved away to let the Lieutenant and Corporal get ready, signaling Moon to join her, as well as Ossun, Ruin, and Reese.

“Now what?”  Moon asked, as Ossun and the troopers joined them.

“Now we get Commander Li back,” Kara said firmly.  She looked at her people, “This isn’t going to be easy, and I may ask of you some very difficult things, but I need you to trust me.  I promise, I’m not a martyr, I will not ask you to leave me behind anywhere.  As long as you keep in mind that I know what I’m doing, we’re going to get through this and get out with Commander Li and the men with him.”

“We can do that,” Moon said, and Ruin nodded.

“What do you need from me?”  Reese asked.

Kara considered for a moment, “Make sure you hang onto some of those charges, but don’t draw attention or make a fuss.  They’ll be useful soon enough.”  She turned to Ossun, “Madam, I need you to stay with Moon.  He’ll make sure you come out of this in one piece.  No matter what, keep close to him and follow orders.  I promise, you’ll be safe.”

Ossun nodded, “I trust you.”

Kara nodded, “Then let’s get going.  We may not have as much time as we think.”

The only difference between her original understanding of this path and the reality as that Kara had planned to be alone by this point.  What awaited them was something she didn’t want to subject the men to, especially with the mask she now had to prepare.  It had been ten years since she’d sat in class and discussed these sorts of situations, but as her lightsaber shown on the rock walls and uneven floor, Kara found the old advice coming into recall quickly.

The tunnel wound in a circle, with a downward slope that made the uneven floor more a hazard than an annoyance.  No one spoke, so the only sounds were the whisper of cloth against rock and the occasionally louder scrape of armor.

Suddenly the rock walls moved, doors appearing with sharp suddenness.  Droids, and people, flooded the hallways, making it difficult to move. 

Kara held her lightsaber in a guard position and put her trust in the Force, “Don’t fight.  Hold your fire.”

“Sir?”  Reese called.

“Hold fire,” Kara bellowed.

“Would this be a surrender?”

Kara turned, watching as the crowd at one door pulled back, letting a tall, slender woman through.

“I’m a hostage negotiator,” Kara said, and shut down her lightsaber.  “I’m here to secure the release of Padawan-Commander Li and his escort.”

/./././.\\.\\.\\.\

Reese stared at the General faced off against the other woman.  He had read the reports of the bald, grey skinned witch called Asajj Ventress, and his instincts screamed that this was that woman.  Still, General had asked them to trust her, and she’d ordered them to hold their fire, so Reese waited, watching, gun not quite set on the witch.

“A hostage negotiator with a lightsaber,” Ventress said.

Kara shrugged, “I wouldn’t normally, but I wasn’t sure how much of a fight we’d have to get here.  I am Jedi Knight Kara Saje, in command of the 425th Search and Rescue.  I have limited authority to negotiate the release of Padawan Li and his escort, are you willing to talk terms?”

“I may be interested,” Ventress said.

“Before we begin,” Kara said, “I need certain assurances.”

“Oh, we won’t harm your men,” Ventress said, “at least, not so long as you cooperate with us.”

“I also need to see Li and his escort,” Kara said, “there’s no point in negotiating if my people aren’t alive.”

“Of course,” Ventress said and waved her hand.  “Take them to the Padawan.”

The instinct to resist made Reese tense up when hands grabbed him and his blaster, but the General’s look kept him in check.  He let them take his pack and his blaster, squirming at the uncomfortable feeling of being mostly disarmed.  Then he let the hands guide him through a doorway.

They were taken to a different corridor, this one lined with cells.  Reese watched as the General, the only one not restrained, walked ahead of them.  She looked as if she was taking a pleasant stroll, looking at and even bending over to listen as Ventress spoke to her.  Saje hadn’t flinched once, allowing them to take her blaster and saber, and even giving the rest of them a hard look when they would have protested the loss of their own weapons.

Reese had managed to hang onto some detonators, having tucked them under his chest plate earlier, driven by an instinct he didn’t understand.

A cell was opened, and the observer was pushed inside.  The Weequay stumbled, but didn’t fall, turning around with her chin raised in a sort of defiant arrogance.  Then Reese was shoved into another cell with Moon and Ruin.  They watched the door shut, and then Reese realized he could see Saje, leaving with Ventress, as well as how Ossun watched them leave.

“This is a wonderful mess we’ve gotten into,” Ruin muttered.

“H-hello?”

Reese would never admit to the level of relief he felt at hearing that voice.  “Commander Li?”  Moon demanded.

“Yes, who, who are you?”

“Sergeant Moon, sir, with Green Four.  I’ve got Troopers Reese and Ruin with me.”  Moon replied, sounding stunned.

“What’s going on?”  The Commander asked.

“We’re part of a rescue mission,” Moon replied.

“Some rescue,” Ruin muttered.

“Are you all right?”  Moon added, raising his voice slightly.

“I’m okay,” Li said after a moment.  “Trap and Spin are hurt.”

“Ah, don’t worry about me,” another voice said, a brother.  “I’m only seeing two of everything, it’s better than three.  Spin’s the one who can’t walk.”

“Like you’re any better, Trap,” another brother retorted, with a sort of forced cheerfulness, “you stagger around like you’re on a diving platform back on Kamino.  Yesterday, you ran into both sides of the door just getting to the ‘fresher.”

“Good to know,” Moon said.  “Madame Ossun, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ossun said calmly.  “I do hope that Knight Saje has a plan.”

“Who are you?”  Li asked.

“I am Nala Ossun,” Ossun said, “the Senate assigned me to observe Knight Saje during a rescue, to evaluate the needed expensive of a dedicated Search and Rescue battalion.”

“Oh,” Li said softly.

“General Saje’s speaking with that Asajj woman,” Moon added, “something about hostage negotiation.  She’ll get us out.”

“What about Master R’sh?”  Li asked finally.

“He’s fine,” General Saje said as she appeared in the corridor, escorted by a Weequay.  “Padawan Li, are you well?”

“Yes, Knight Saje,” Li said, “where is Master R’sh?”

“He’s with Commander CC-8887,” General Saje replied, “they’re making sure our exit is uncompromised.”

There was something in the look the General shot at the three of them that indicated that she’d be extremely upset if they implied that she’d just lied to the Commander.  Reese figured it was one of those trust things.  He also wondered if he’d be able to ask her about that later, if they got out of here.

“Are you getting us out, sir?”  Moon asked.

“Not just yet,” General Saje said, “Madam Ventress has specific requirements for securing your release and I have agreed to honor them.”  She glanced along the corridor, and Reese slipped forward on a hunch.  “I don’t want you to try to break out yet.  There’s too much between you and the way out.  There’s a moment, a window of opportunity, that you need to be prepared for.  When it comes, you’ll have to jump for it.”

“We need to go, Saje,” the Weequay said suddenly, “time’s up.”

“Of course,” General Saje replied.  “May the Force be with you.”

They weren’t given a chance to get comfortable, before several SBDs showed up, along with a trio of Trandoshan.  “Now what,” Reese muttered.

“This may be our window,” Moon replied, “be ready.”

“Republic dogs,” one of the Trandoshan said, “You are being moved to the arena.  Your _Jedi_ will be earning your freedom.  You are to watch.  If you attempt to fight, we are authorized to shoot to kill.”

“We will not fight,” Li said suddenly, firmly.  “My word on it.”

The Trandoshan hissed something that Reese didn’t understand as one of the others triggered a control on his remote.  The doors to the cells opened and Reese followed Moon out.  Trap and Spin were helping each other out of a different cell while Li stepped out of the last.  The Sky’tri Padawan looked calm, almost eerily so as he rested a hand on Spin’s shoulder and nodded at Moon.  Looking at him, you’d never think the young avian was at all bothered at being so deeply underground for so long.  Even with the signs of his captivity, Li still had a presence to himself that Reese admired.  Saje could project a presence that could command attention, and Reese suspected that her people probably adored her, but Li burned in his intensity.  He was arrogant, but Reese figured that was natural for a guy whose favorite way to have fun was divebombing the flightless.

“Madam Ossun,” Li said, holding out his hand to the observer, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“And with you, Padawan Li,” Ossun replied, taking his hand.

“Let’s go,” The Trandoshan snapped.

“As you say,” Li replied, he started after the trio with Moon falling in behind him.  While Ruin walked beside Ossun, no doubt remembering Saje’s orders, Reese stepped up to help Spin keep Trap moving.

They were taken to four cages in the center of a cavern.  Li entered one, Ossun, and Ruin, a second, Trap and Spin the third, while Moon was shoved in behind Reese.  Before any of them could get settled, the cages began to move.  They were lowered down into an even larger cavern and hung about thirty feet from the ground.  The walls were sheer, too smooth to be natural.  They had to have been machine carved in Reese’s estimation, and there were no obvious exits.  Not to mention that there were clusters of light, both in the walls and on the ceiling, that showed both the size of the cavern, and what awaited them on the ground.

“Gundarks,” Li announced, he had his wings pressed close to his back as he looked at the growling beasts.  “Nasty cave predators.”

“And me without my blaster,” Moon muttered as he also looked down.

“Take a bit of effort to hit them,” Li said, “they’ve got thick skin.”

“What would you suggest then?”  Reese asked.

“Lightsabers are nice,” Li said, “but rocks work, if they’re big enough.”

“So basically, nothing we’re carrying,” Moon said.  “I wonder what they’re here for.”

“Security,” Li said, “probably to make sure that whatever Master Saje’s doing, she doesn’t cheat.”

“Do you know what she’s doing?”  Moon asked.

“No,” Li replied, “but she’s sure it will work.  I know enough that I know our window is still coming, but she couldn’t say much.”  He rolled a shoulder, “Ventress was paying attention, even if she wasn’t there.”

“Is she Force sensitive?”  Ossun asked suddenly.

“Ventress?  Yes,” Li said.  “I know she works for Dooku, and she carries two red lightsabers, but that’s about it.  She tends to be involved in the big schemes, Master R’sh and I aren’t exactly the sort that get involved in that.”

Reese tapped the bars for a moment, watching as the gundarks circled below them.  He probably shouldn’t be too obsessed with the creatures, but he knew all to well what teeth like that could do to someone like him.

Moon leaned into his side, “Ugly things.”

Reese hummed, “Be uglier after they were blown up.”

Moon snorted softly, no doubt reminded of the old joke that Reese should have been a demolitions expert, instead of a hobbyist.  Reese had decided a long time ago, after a long discussion with his teachers, that specializing in demolitions was worthwhile, but not enough.  He wanted a command and becoming too specialized would make that goal more difficult for him.  So, he had varied his skill set enough to make him valuable for any sort of attack plan, and let his interest in demolitions come in second place.

“If you’re carrying, I don’t want to know,” Moon said softly, “not yet, anyways.”  He paused, “and I especially don’t want to know how you’re carrying them.”

Reese smiled tightly, “Just say the word, Sergeant, and give me a target.”

“If our window doesn’t open soon, I just might,” Moon replied, and then moved away, careful to keep the cage from swaying as he approached the Commander for a quiet conversation.  Reese resumed studying the gundarks, and waiting.

 


	5. Rescue One

Commander CC-621-8887, Jack to his brothers, swore viciously.  General Saje had missed her check in and wasn’t responding to their calls.  They had been close to the Commander, which meant that whatever Saje had sensed was happening.  It hadn’t been four hours, but Jack had a feeling that whatever was happening, they weren’t going to get to the General in time.

He paced the command center as Lieutenant Sly tried again to raise Moon or Cheer, hoping that this time he’d get the call.

Suddenly, the static that had been emitting from the speakers began to break up.  Jack stopped and turned, staring.

“Max, do you copy?”

“Corporal Max, this is 317 base, we copy,” Sly said.

“317 base, we hear you, over.”

Jack imagined he could hear the relief in Max’s voice without trying.

“Corporal, what’s your status,” Sly said.

“General Saje said to get General R’sh,” Corporal Max said, “then come to our coordinates and back us up.”

“Where is the general?”  Jack asked as he walked over.

“Repeat,” Max said after a moment.

“What’s the status of General Saje,” Sly said.

“The General took part of the squad to retrieve Commander Li,” Max said, “we lost contact early on.  Lieutenant Cheer is assisting her.”

Jack turned slightly, “Captain Flip, coordinates?”

“Got them,” Flip replied, holding up a flimsi.

“Corporal,” Jack said, leaning over Sly’s shoulder so his voice would be picked up, “Commander CC-621-8887, we hear and copy General Saje’s orders.  Do you need emergency medical evac?”

“No,” Max said.

“Your back up will be on hand soon,” Jack said.  “Make sure Lieutenant Sly has a full report so we know what to expect.”

“Understood,” Max said.

 

Kara was not a sneak, by nature or training, so trying to make it from the room Ventress had stuffed her in to her lightsaber was nerve wracking.  Still, Kara blessed the Force for giving her a crystal that was noisy enough to be able to discern from the other kyber crystals in the caves.  Ventress’s pair sounded like the screams of the dying to her senses, and what had to be Padawan Li’s made her think of wind chimes.  It was a relief to find her saber, with the crystal heartbeat that synched with her own.

The door to the room in question was security locked however, and Kara knew she didn’t have the time to slice the door.  Kara smiled and pulled off her necklace.  Time wasn’t on her side, but her friends were.  This was an electronic ghost key, designed to open electronic locks in seconds just by being near them. It had been given to her by one of Master Honso’s informants shortly after she’d turned sixteen as a present.

Quickly she activated the pendant and tucked it behind the faceplate of the door control and then moved back, finding an alcove she’d passed earlier and ducking inside.  As she waited, she listened carefully for the approach of the droids she still couldn’t fully track in the Force, or for the beings that Ventress had stuffed the place full of.  Finally, there was a soft beep and the hiss of an opening door.  Kara raced down the hall, reclaimed her pendant and stepped inside.

Her pack, and her lightsaber, were sitting on a counter that was steps from the door.  Clearly whoever had been sent to bring them here hadn’t bothered to look through Kara’s belongings at all.  Kara checked her pack to be sure, letting a soft sigh of relief escape as she touched her datapad.  She pulled it out and drew out the picture she’d drawn before starting the mission.

There were no twitchy fingers or overriding sense of doom now, clearly things were progressing exactly as she needed them to.  Kara put the datapad back and slipped on her pack, it was now time to go see to Ventress.  Kara paused long enough to stuff Li’s sabers in her pack and clip her own on her belt before she left.

There was no universe where Kara had the skill to do more than hold her own against Ventress for a short while, but Kara had every intention of putting all of her skill into that very premise.  It wasn’t her show any longer.  Her job was to create the window for her squad to act.  If they were true to what she’d seen so far, then Cheer and Moon would know exactly when and how to act.  It was a part of their training.

“Hey!”

Kara sighed, and turned as a Weequay approached.  Then she blinked, “Kedan?”

The Weequay glanced around, “Not so loud, Kara.  The Lady doesn’t know I know you, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Why are you working for her?”  Kara demanded.

“Mom and Uncle Hondo had a falling out,” Kedan said, “Uncle Hondo called in the debt Mom owed him.  I didn’t realize I’d signed on with the Seps until I got here, and I can’t leave.”

Kara sighed and patted his arm, “No worries.  However,” she said.

“I know,” Kedan replied.

Kara pressed her hand to Kedan’s cheek and brought the Force into play, “Sleep.” 

Kara made a mental note to remember to do that to any other Weequay she ran into and moved on. Ventress had forgotten to specify how she was supposed to fight for freedom, and Kara wasn’t above making a few opportunities of her own.  Especially in retrieving the lightsabers.  The underground tunnels were extensive and maze like, existing not only under the cave that had brought them in, but throughout the whole region.

Kara was holding out hope that she’d find a computer terminal with a map eventually, but so far, she’d seen rock, rock, and for variety, more rock.  She wasn’t sure if her path was clear because she’d found a back way through, or if it was because Asajj was setting her up for something, but Kara had her lightsaber on her hip and a plan.  She could do a lot with a plan, and slightly less with her lightsaber.

That said, Kara was absolutely ready for someone to show up, to attack her.  And nobody showed.

Like the rock, the empty tunnels were becoming a ridiculous theme in her life.  Kara touched her lightsaber, took a breath and continued on.

***

 

General R’sh and his squad were trapped by a cave in.

Jack knew enough about demolitions that even he could tell it had been deliberate, but that was beside the point.  The point was they had a lot of rock to move, quickly and safely.  Thankfully, Jack had engineers.

They’d been plotting a dam for the locals before the Separatists had actually shown up to make a play for the planet’s natural resources, so Jack had a small, but highly skilled and motivated team of engineers that he could apply to their problem.

“Sir, this is extremely dangerous,” Dagger began as they looked at the rock fall.

“I’m aware,” Jack said, “but that’s our General in there.”

“This isn’t going to be a quick thing.”

“Then you’d better get started,” Jack replied, crossing his arms and giving the other clone a pointed look.

“We’re on it,” Dagger said with a salute.  He turned and gathered his men to begin their planning.  Jack found a resting point on a rock outside the cave and waited, watching as the men he’d brought with him secured the area and settled in for the long wait.

After a while, Jack was called to one of the gunships for word from Lieutenant Sly.

“Sir, we’ve gotten word from Corporal Max,” Sly said.  “He’s met up with Lieutenant Cheer.”  There was a moment of hesitation, “Still no word from General Saje, Commander Li or Sergeant Moon.”

Jack nodded, “What’s the Lieutenant’s situation?”

“They’re in a defensible position, one injured but mobile.  They lost one trooper during an ambush on the way to their current location,” Sly replied.  “Trooper Typh.”

Jack swallowed, wondering what had happened, but he couldn’t dwell, he had other things to worry about.  “Pass back that we’ll be there as soon as we can, with the General.”

“Understood,” Sly said.

They were breaking out ration bars and some of the men were showing sign of the restlessness that would become recklessness all too soon when there was a series of thuds in the cave, and the engineers came running out, followed by a cloud of dust.

“Dagger?”  Jack asked as he hurried over.

“It’s okay,” Dagger replied, turning back to the cave.

“Indeed,” General R’sh announced as he came out of the cave, levitating a boulder in front of him.  “Lieutenant CC-109-8763 failed to account for my active participation in his time frame.  Commander CC-621-8887, what is our situation?”

Jack saluted, “General Kara Saje is on planet, in the process of leading a small team to rescue Padawan Li following a Force vision that suggested it was imperative that she rescue him first.  Lieutenant CC-621-9955’s squadron is with her.  We’ve lost contact with the General, however we have received an update from CC-621-9955 that the General is actively pursuing the Commander and has requested back up to complete the rescue.  General Kara Saje is being shadowed by a Senate appointed observer named Nala Ossun.  Per Council orders and General Kara Saje, we are preparing to withdraw from the base as well.”

“Then we had best provide support to General Kara Saje and Lieutenant CC-621-9955,” General R’sh announced.  “See to it that the wounded from these men are sent to the _Reckoning’s_ medical bay immediately.”

“Yes sir,” Jack said, “we have a transport waiting.”  He gestured to where medics were already loading a stretcher onto one of the gunships.  “Do you require assistance, sir?”

“A protein ration as we move to assist General Kara Saje will be sufficient,” General R’sh replied.  He flicked his hand, a gesture that Jack had noticed he used to indicate regret or guilt.  “Get the men in the air.”

“Yes sir,” Jack replied.  He turned, hand signaling two of his captains as he moved to the group of engineers.  “Lieutenant Dagger get your men on a separate transport and get back to base.”

“Yes sir,” Dagger replied.

“You did good today,” Jack said, knowing that the General wouldn’t think of speaking his gratitude.

“Thank you, sir,” Dagger said.

Jack moved through the group, ensuring that his people were packing it in as necessary.  He stopped by the ship with the secure comm to give the word to the rest of his people.

“Sir, I have an urgent communique from General Windu for General Saje,” Sly said as he finished giving orders.  “He says that General R’sh will do as well.”

“I’ll get him,” Jack said.  He stepped out the gunship and looked around, General R’sh was about to board one of the other gunships.  “General R’sh, sir!”  He called and jogged over.

“Commander CC-621-8887,” General R’sh said.

“General Mace Windu requests you speak with him on the secure comm,” Jack said.

“At once,” General R’sh said and turned to lean in the gunship, “I’ll be taking the other one.  Go ahead and take off.”

Jack followed the General back to the gunship, leaping aboard as the last of the other transports lifted in the air.  Jack signaled the pilot to take off as General R’sh stepped up to the comm system.

The hologram of General Windu was active moments later.

“Master R’sh, it is good to see you well,” Windu said.

“And you, Master Mace Windu,” General R’sh replied with a slight bow.

“I was hoping that Knight Saje would be available,” Windu said.

“Forgive me, Master Mace Windu, but Knight Kara Saje is still in the process of rescuing my Padawan.  We have not received direct communication from her in quite some time,” General R’sh replied.

Windu bowed his head, “That was, unfortunate.”

“Has something happened?”  General R’sh asked hesitantly.

“A mission suited to Knight Saje’s skillset has come up,” Master Windu said.

“Shall I send Knight Kara Saje to Coruscant as soon as we make contact?”  General R’sh asked.

“No,” Master Windu replied, “there are others we can send.”

Jack frowned slightly, he’d never seen the General look that disgruntled before.

“Understood, Master Mace Windu,” General R’sh bowed.

“I hope your Padawan is swiftly returned to you,” General Windu replied and cut the connection.

“General R’sh?”  Jack asked carefully.

R’sh sighed, making that same guilt and regret sign, “Knight Kara Saje has a demonstrated history in the retrieval of children.  Had she gone, it would have been a quiet mission.  It seems that the only other choice at the moment would be Knight Anakin Skywalker.”

“Sir?”  Jack said after a moment.

That sign was amusement, “Knight Anakin Skywalker is the only Jedi who can put that look on Master Mace Windu’s face.”

Jack nodded slightly, thinking about General Saje, “Sir, you said that General Kara Saje has a history of,” he hesitated.

Amusement, then guilt, “Knight Kara Saje has a unique prescient ability that expresses itself in drawing.  It is a talent she developed as an initiate, although few believe it exists.”

“I, I believe I saw that,” Jack said.

General R’sh nodded, “Not many in the Order are aware of her skills.  It was deemed best that it be downplayed as much as possible after she made everyone well aware of her abilities.”  He moved away from the comm.  “Knight Kara Saje was eleven when she approached myself, and some other Knights, requesting aid after she drew a particularly frightening vision regarding a group of children.”  Guilt sign again, “We did not listen as well as we ought to, although my year mate, Master Honso Ohnaka, asked her a number of questions.  Her vision detailed that a number of children of prominent political figures would be kidnapped and some of them killed.”

R’sh tapped his talons on his chest, “Knight Kara Saje believed we did not believe her and therefore the deaths would occur.  Master Honso Ohnaka prepared to act when the kidnapping occurred, but the event occurred before he was fully prepared.  Knight Kara Saje snuck out of the temple and joined the class of children as they were on an educational excursion to the Senate District’s Galactic History Museum.  When the children were taken, Knight Kara Saje was included.  While Master Honso Ohnaka raced to find and save the children, Knight Kara Saje organized them and broke them out of their confinement.  Master Honso Ohnaka took Knight Kara Saje as his Padawan the next day, and that delay was only because Judicial was questioning both of them.”  Amusement, “Their missions together were generally less dramatic, but it was an auspicious beginning.”

“If you say so,” Jack said, grateful that, for all of the General’s mannerisms and formalities, he didn’t have a wildcard like General Saje leading his people.


	6. Rescue Two

It had been long enough that Reese was beyond trying to pretend he wasn’t bored.  He was sitting on the floor of the cage with a single leg dangling down, watching the gundarks circle.

“If they bite your leg off,” Moon began.

Blaster fire erupted below them and the gundarks ran.  Moon shifted to watch as stray bolts came out of a tunnel he hadn’t seen before.  Then, green light heralded General Saje bolting out of the tunnel, lightsaber desperately blocking blasts.  She glanced up for a moment, then attacked her pursuers.  When the blaster fire ended, she turned and jogged across the floor of the cavern, shrugging off a pack.

“How’s it hanging?”  She called up, sounding almost cheerful.

“Well enough, General,” Sergeant Moon called.

“Great, catch this,” she flung the pack in the air.

Commander Li caught one of the straps, and looked startled, “Master?”

“I found them lying around,” General Saje said.  “Really careless of them, you know?  Somebody could just steal them.”  She saluted them with her saber as shouting began to fill the cavern.  “Your window’s coming, Padawan.  I’ll keep them distracted.”  She glanced back again, “I need one favor, Sergeant.”

“General?”  Moon said.

“Contact Captain Zip with the 425th as soon as possible and tell him to initiate Operation Nerf Herder.  He’ll know what to do.”

“Captain Zip,” Moon repeated.

“Yeah,” the General said, “Make sure it’s not the Commander, okay?  He’s got his own orders.”

“I’ll see to it,” Moon called as someone shouted something and blaster fire started up.

“May the Force be with you,” Li called as Saje blocked the shots and then ran off in the direction that the gundarks had gone.  She was swiftly followed by a mixed group of droids and organic beings.

“Commander?”  Moon said as Li opened the pack.

“She found my lightsabers,” Li said, pulling out the familiar hilts.

There was something in Li’s expression that Reese had never seen before, not on their Commander.  He’d seen similar looks when brothers reunited with partners split up during fighters, a look that spoke of relief and love and survival.  It made him feel like he was looking in on a private moment even more than those post battle moments.

When Reese looked back at the Commander, he’d clipped the sabers to his belt and was looking into the pack curiously.

“What’s in there?” Spin asked.

“A datapad,” Li began.

“The General brought that with her,” Ruin said.  “She’s been wearing it since we left base.”

“Why,” Li murmured as he considered the datapad.

Reese had a sinking feeling that the General expected not to leave the tunnels.

“Okay,” Li said, shoving the datapad back in the pack.  “This is our window.”  He glanced over, “Ruin, catch.”  He tossed the pack over, hand remaining outstretched until Ruin had it.  Then he pulled out his lightsaber.

“What are you going to do?”  Ossun asked.

“Can’t fly here,” Li said as he considered the sides of his cave.  “There’s no air.  I’d tire myself out and not make much of a difference.”  He activated his copper-gold lightsaber and cut the bars on the side of his cage.  As they fell, he reached out, slowing their fall so that they came to rest gently on the ground.  Then he quickly climbed on top of his cage.

“Step one,” Li said, glancing up at the small openings where the cages’ supports came through.

“Sir,” Moon said, “I respectfully request you release us first.”

Li glanced down at him and smirked, “No worries, Sergeant.  I won’t leave you behind.”

Reese pulled himself up, wondering what Li knew that would give him that kind of expression.  Then the Sky’tri backed up a few steps and leaped across the space between his cage and the cage with Ossun and Ruin.

There was a muffled explosion, and then a harsh grinding sound before Li’s cage began to fall.  Again, Reese saw him make that gesture that Jedi seemed ingrained to use when they called on the Force to maneuver something.  The cage was dropped to the floor of the cave, and the opening that it had descended through opened.  Reese wished he had a blaster, or even had thought to pull out one of his explosives, not wanting his Commander to face whatever was up there alone.

Then four ropes fell through the hole, followed by two troopers.

“ _Su cuy’gar,_ Lieutenant,” Li said.

“ _Su cuy’gar,_ Commander,” Lieutenant Cheer replied.  “General Saje said you needed ropes.”

“That would be useful,” Li replied, “how is the General?”

“She seemed in good spirits,” Cheer said.  He slid a coil of rope off his shoulder and tossed it to Li, holding onto one end as Li caught the other.  “Also, General R’sh sends his compliments and asks that you make haste in your departure as the Council has already sent a notice for your next briefing.”

“Then let’s not keep him waiting,” Li said.

It wasn’t long before Li was cutting the bars on Moon and Reese’s cage, while the rest of the squad helped Ossun, Trap, and Spin climb the ropes.

“Are you alright, Sergeant?”  Cheer asked softly while Reese prepared himself for the climb to the top.

“Someone needs to speak to General Saje about sharing her actual plans,” Moon replied, equally quietly.  “I don’t know what purpose this served.”

“You got to Commander Li, didn’t you?”  Cheer said after a moment, “I can’t say I follow the plan either, but it seems to me that making sure that the Commander had viable assistance getting out, not to mention ensuring that the observer was protected, would be key factors in that plan.”

“I just would like to know when the General expects us to walk in and hand ourselves over to the enemy before she tells me to put my blaster down,” Moon said dryly.

Reese started his climb to keep himself from speaking up.  He knew exactly what Moon meant, and it made him wonder what Saje’s command thought of her actions and tactics.  He felt sorry for brothers who had to put up with that kind of planning.  Then he remembered that Zip was a captain over in the 425th and wondered if the General’s planning style wasn’t a reaction to that brother’s reputation for being unconventional at best, and a complete lunatic at worst.  He’d never met the Captain personally, but Ninety-Nine liked telling stories about the Ten-Year Cadets when his joints weren’t bothering him.

Reese shook his head and focused on the climb, realizing that Chuckles and Jester were reaching down to help him go through the opening they made.

“Gentlemen,” Reese said as he got his feet planted.

“Have fun?”  Jester asked.

“Oh, the gundarks were entertaining,” Reese replied, clearing the way for Lieutenant Moon and Sergeant Cheer to join them.  He nodded as they passed them, headed for the Commander.  “Any word on the Generals?”

“Saje is still distracted everyone,” Jester said, “although nobody’s really sure how.  The Lieutenant and the Corporal spoke with Commander Jack and General R’sh a few times.  The General’s fine, they were trapped in some kind of a cave in, and now they’re coming to back us up.”

Reese nodded slightly, letting his shoulders drop in relief before Commander Li cleared his throat.  “All right everyone,” he said, “General Saje and my Master have made our position now very clear.  We’re leaving.  Chuckles, Jester, your job is to ensure that Madame Ossun makes it out alive.  I’d prefer she be unhurt, but this is a war zone.”

“I appreciate your preference,” Ossun said dryly.

“Lieutenant Cheer is on point, Sergeant Moon, Reese, Ruin, you’re tail guard.  Let’s move,” Li finished, with a half-bow to Ossun.

“Our way out is this way,” Cheer announced, gesturing up the tunnel.  “We’ll stop on the way at a storage room where your gear is waiting.”

Reese squared his shoulders against a sigh.  He might have demolitions, but those were dangerous in a tunnel, and not nearly as useful as a decent blaster.  He noticed that the others were also straightening up, even as some personal sidearms were shared around, almost enough for everyone to have something.

They were moving out shortly thereafter, with Cheer’s promised stop coming quickly.  Now armed with not only blasters, but the rest of his explosives, Reese felt ready for anything.

Except the red blade that nearly took off the commander’s wing.

It happened so fast that Reese didn’t even see it coming.  One moment they were moving along in near silence, the next, Li was dropping to the floor under a descending red blade, which he managed to catch on his own ‘saber before he was all the way down.

“Well, well, well,” the grey-skinned Sith murmured, “going somewhere?”

“Home,” Li replied as he gripped his saber two handed and fought to get enough space to stand again.

Reese glanced at Moon, the Sergeant was bringing his blaster rifle into position and Reese immediately did the same.

Before any of them could react, a blaster shot came down the tunnel, where a slight curve made it difficult for Reese to see.

Ventress ignited a second lightsaber and caught the bolt easily.

“That is enough.”  General Saje declared as she came into view.  Her lightsaber was ignited and held before her in one hand, and a blaster in the other, aimed at Ventress.  “I made that deal in good faith Ventress, but if you want to decide it no longer holds weight, then let’s go.”

“Saje,” Ventress said, “time’s not up yet.”

Saje nodded, “Maybe not, but getting Padawan Li, and these men, out of here is the sole reason I’m here.  Running around like an idiot was one way to do it, but going toe to toe with you, well, I’m willing to accommodate you.”

Ventress stood there for a moment, then stepped back from Li, bringing her sabers into a guard position.

“Lieutenant, move,” Saje continued.

“Sir,” Cheer said, even as he cleared the way.  Ventress began to stalk forward and Saje fired again.

“None of that,” she said, her head slightly titled as Ventress blocked the attack.

“You don’t trust me?”  Ventress asked as she passed the Lieutenant.

“Of course not,” Saje said, looking surprised, “I mean, as long as you’re getting something out of it, you’ll keep your word, but I would never blindly trust a Dark Sider.”  She holstered her blaster and swung her saber to catch Ventress’s first attack.

As they fought, the Lieutenant helped the Commander to his feet, and they all stood there, watching as Saje and Ventress crossed blades.

“It’s not enough,” Li whispered.

“What?”  Cheer asked.

“Saje,” Li began then stiffened, his wings mantling in alarm as he jerked his head up.

“Sir,” Cheer said.

“Force ghosts and dying stars,” Li whispered.  Then he shook his head and turned to Cheer, “We need another path.  This one’s going to be blocked for a while.”

“This way sir,” Cheer replied, and they headed back down the tunnel to a cross junction.  “Saje found a map of the tunnels,” he explained as they went.  “We’ll be able to find our way out.”

“That’s good,” Li said, sounding distracted.

“What happened sir?”  Ruin asked.

Li glanced over his shoulder a moment, then shook his head slightly.  “While Jedi have similar abilities, and you can count on any Jedi to be able to do a number of the same things, we are all different in the Force.  I have an affinity to telekinesis that strongly relates to my ability to fly.  Kiffar Jedi have strong psychometric abilities.  Knight Saje was, I’m not sure I have the words to explain it, but she was using the Force in a way that was a distinct variation of the norm, but…” he trailed off.  “Master R’sh would know better than I.  It was startling, but, it was beautiful, what she was doing.”  He gave another head shake even as his wings resettled, “I want to know what deal Ventress was talking about.”

“She said she was there as a hostage negotiator,” Ossun offered tentatively.

“That, I believe,” Li replied. “My Master and hers, they were friends.  Master Honso, I heard him telling Master R’sh about how good Knight Saje was getting at that sort of thing once.  I was,” he dropped his head slightly, “I was supposed to be meditating, and I happen to overhear them talking about it.  Master Honso was talking about how she was going to take the trials within the year and where he hoped to see her end up in the aftermath.”

 “Is that sort of training common among the Jedi?”  Ossun asked.

“No,” Li replied, “but Knight Saje trained with Judicial too.  Master R’sh told me that she went undercover with a Judicial cadet class as part of a mission and graduated with them.  While she doesn’t have the same recognized authority as a Judicial officer, Knight Saje is recognized as one of them in certain respects.  She learned hostage negotiation and rescue from them.”

“So, the training of a Judicial officer combined with the morals, value, and authority of a Jedi Knight,” Ossun said.

“Master R’sh said there’s a reason why Knight Saje does search and rescue,” Li said, “she has the best available training for the work.”  He flicked a wing out, “I don’t know much else, you’d have to talk to Master R’sh, but for now, we should be quiet.”

They were turning into another corridor when they were suddenly confronted by a Weequay with a blaster rifle.  Reese tensed, swinging away from Moon enough to be prepared for an ambush.

“You don’t want to be here,” Li said softly.

The Weequay huffed a laugh, “No, I _really_ do not, Master Padawan.  I didn’t want to be with the Separatists to start with.  I should have killed myself rather than go up against Kara.”

“You know her?”  Li said.

“I am Kedan Ohnaka, Kara’s Master was my mother’s cousin,” the Weequay said.  He lifted his chin slightly, “I’m a pirate, same as any other Ohnaka.  I’m not a traitor to the Republic, not like this.  I just, I really don’t want to die either.”

“Ah,” Li said.  He turned slightly, “Lieutenant, subdue this prisoner.  In exchange for his cooperation in guiding us out of here, we will speak to Master R’sh about him.”

Cheer stepped forward and took the Ohnaka’s blaster, passing it back to Corporal Max.  “All right, Ohnaka, let’s go.”

“Of course,” Ohnaka replied.

Their trip went smoothly, with Ohnaka showing them back passages that kept them from notice from the security systems and the patrols.  It wasn’t long before they were emerging from a cave surrounded by Reese’s brothers and their General.


	7. The Next Step

R’sh didn’t hug his Padawan.  He didn’t grab the Sky’tri and demand that he never leave his sight.  He did not break his sworn word and refer to the Sky’tri by his birth name.  He allowed himself a touching of hands and arms, felt Li’s wing nudge him gently as his Padawan fell into his proper place, and that was enough.  They had been together long enough to have found their own ways of sharing communication, things that most people would dismiss.

“This is Madam Nala Ossun,” Li said, gesturing to one of the two Weequay in his party, “She’s the Senate observer that was with Knight Kara Saje.  This is Kedan Ohnaka, a cousin of Master Honso Ohnaka.  He was in the employ of Asajj Ventress but has surrendered himself to our custody.”

“Officially I was subdued by superior numbers,” Kedan Ohnaka said, “it’ll keep me alive longer.”

R’sh nodded to the prisoner, “Commander CC-621-8887, see that he is taken care of.”

His commander saluted and turned to signal still others.

“Madam Nala Ossun,” R’sh said, and bowed to her.  “I hope you are not too injured by your ordeal.”

“Master R’sh,” Nala said, “I survived the Naboo Occupation, this was three-quarters the excitement and four hundred times the boredom.  What happens now?”

“Now we find Knight Kara Saje,” R’sh said.

“Master,” Li said, “Knight Kara Saje requested that Sergeant CT-621-9977 convey a message to one of the 425th Captains as soon as possible.”

R’sh eyed the Sergeant, who stood at attention at Li’s back.  “See that the message is delivered, Sergeant.  Then check with medical and your Lieutenant.”

“Yes sir,” Sergeant CT-621-9977 replied with a quick salute.

R’sh watched him leave, and then turned, “Lieutenant CC-621-9955, any further to report at this moment?”

The Lieutenant saluted, “Sir, I regret to report the loss of CT-621-9949 in an attempted ambush.  The General had taken some demolitions and back up to clear our path, and we failed to communicate on which explosion was to be my signal to move out.  CT-621-9949 was killed because I gave the move out order too soon.”

R’sh could read the man’s feelings of guilt and regret just in the way he set his shoulders and held his head, he didn’t need the Force to know that.  He stepped forward and rested a hand on CT-621-9955’s shoulder and waited until their eyes met.

“Cheer,” R’sh said softly, “This is war, with all it’s prices and consequences, and all mistakes have unintended consequences.  You have my acceptance of the event, my sympathy for your loss, and my hope that moving forward, we may both learn and grow as all must, or perish.”

The look on his Lieutenant’s face was beyond words, and not for the first time R’sh thought darkly on the faults of his ancestors that made speaking to these men by their given names so difficult for him.

“What about Knight Kara Saje?”  Li asked.

“We will do what we can for her,” R’sh said, turning to his Padawan, “for as long as we are able.  That is what we always do.  Tell me, how did you get your lightsabers?  I would have thought an enemy such as this would have taken them.”

“They did,” Li replied, “Knight Kara Saje got them back.”  He paused, “And her pack!  She gave that to me, my ‘sabers were in it.”  He paused, looking suddenly like the 16-year-old he was, “Why would she do that?”

“Maybe there is something we are supposed to know,” R’sh replied.

“I have the pack,” CT-621-9955 said, offering it to R’sh.

R’sh took it and glanced his head to the side as he saw Kara Saje’s datapad, “Hmmm,” he said and pulled it out.

“Here,” LI said, catching one of the pack’s shoulder straps.

“Thank you,” R’sh said as he hit the button that would wake up the pad.  The first picture made him smile, even without the Force to guide her, Kara Saje was a skilled artist and even if the clones had the same face, she had managed to capture personality in the simple line piece.  It was three of her troopers, two of them looked shame faced and soaked; one of them had a circle tattoo on his cheek, the other one was scorched in the upper thigh area, while the third stood over them, arms crossed, his expression a match for one R’sh had seen on a number of Creche Masters when faced with errant younglings.

R’sh tapped the screen and received a prompt to swipe upwards.  The first thing he saw when the screen changed was a drawing bearing the legend: 399 Rescue.

R’sh had seen Kara’s visions before.  She drew them a couple of times a year, the ones that led her to alter parameters of her mission or go out of her way to accomplish something.  R’sh had seen some of them, shared by Master Honso Ohnaka when the Weequay had felt daunted by the fact that his Padawan was a strong seer.  He reached for the Force, for understanding and guidance as he studied the page.

First was the red x that dominated the page.  Even before the Force drew his attention, he understood that.  Double red blades were Asajj Ventress’s trademark.

Next was a Sky’tri wing, but it wasn’t whole, instead it had been cut or burned through in several places.  R’sh looked up and around for his Padawan, reassured by the sight of untouched wings that were half flexed, as if he yearned to simply fly away on the fresh breeze.  R’sh rested a claw on that part of the drawing for a brief moment, mentally beginning the Force for reassurance.  The relief he felt when no further warnings came to him was beyond measure.

Kara Saje had saved his Padawan, although from what R’sh didn’t know, nor did he want to know.

Instead he moved on to the next image.  Two droidekas on something, he considered the sharp, simplistic lines for a long moment before remembering that there was a bridge on the road between here and the base.  That must be the ambush, the one that the Lieutenant had mentioned to him.  Kara Saje had been aware of it, although he wondered how much of it she had understood before it happened.

Once, Honso Ohnaka had shown him Kara Saje’s drawing of a pile of blasters in a broken crate and explained that they had been found during an investigation into slave trafficking.  The crate had broken Kara Saje’s fall, and one of the blasters had served to protect her until she could summon her lightsaber back.  Honso Ohnaka had explained that Kara Saje had known the crate existed, that it would be broken, and that the blasters were important to her, and that it would happen on the mission, but she didn’t know how, or why, or when.  These were what Kara Saje called her head’s up visions, not a warning, but more of a be aware of this message.

Honso Ohnaka had found those drawings frustrated, because they told them nothing, but in such a way that they seemed important.

R’sh shrugged off the memories and twisted the pad so that he consider the next drawing.  A floating pair of shackles and a circle of numbers beside it.  He wondered at that, nudged the Force for information, but only a rising sense of dread came back.  Whatever that was to mean, it was clear that it was already true, or soon would be.

“Padawan Li,” R’sh said, when his Padawan joined him, he pointed to the shackles.  “What do you make of that?”

Li stared at the picture for a moment, then his eyes fluttered shut and the Force stirred a little.  “Knight Kara Saje said that she’d made a deal with Ventress,” he said finally, “she mentioned it a few times, and about a window of opportunity.  When she crossed blades with Ventress to cover our exit, Ventress told her that she still had time.”  Li hesitated, “I had the feeling then, that she’d made some choice or decision.”

R’sh nodded, even as he wondered if the young Knight had willingly sacrificed herself for his Padawan in some way.

His finger brushed over the screen and the picture changed.  This one wasn’t the sharp lines of a vision, but it wasn’t the same style as Kara’s regular paintings.  It looked more, somehow, in a way that R’sh didn’t understand.

Most of the drawing was the sketch of some kind of rock wall.  The dominant figures were a brightly colored lizard wearing a saddle and bridle, and a human.  They were both falling.  The human had red-blond hair, and wore a Jedi’s tunics, but was twisted to such an angle that his face was unseen.  There was a charred spot on the wall above him, and rocks seemingly flew about the man and lizard.

Studying it, R’sh wondered at it’s purpose.  Kara was not the sort of youngling to draw dead Jedi on a whim.

“Sir, we’re ready to sweep the tunnels,” the Commander announced.

R’sh nodded slightly.  “Padawan Li and I will take the south western group.”

He headed for a speeder to bring them around to the group that would help them sweep the underground tunnel system when the sound of a ship taking off made them all look out.

The small, two passenger ship shot out of the side of a nearby mountain, then streaked into the sky as soon as it was clear.

For a moment, R’sh got the impression of cold, darkness and warm light, and he knew the outcome of their search.  Master Mace Windu would not be pleased.

***

Zip was a patient man.  It was a trait he’d been born with, the ability to stand watch, handle punishment duty, and ride herd on an ever-increasing number of men under his command.  None of that experience mattered when held up against the idea that his General was on a mission, on a known contested planet, and none of his men were allowed to be with her.

He was aware of the affect of his agitation on the men, and so did his best to not carry that into the situations where he was around them.  Especially the command staff that kept an eye on the station and intergalactic communication.

Still, it was almost a relief for Zip to be summoned to the command station for a message from Lecern.

It was not the general.

“I am CC-2976, Captain Zip,” Zip said to the brother on the other end of the flickering holo.

“Sir,” the man saluted, “I am Sergeant CT-621-9977, Moon.  I have an urgent message from General Kara Saje for you.”

“All right,” Zip said, “Let’s hear it.”

“The General said to initiate Operation Nerf Herder,” Moon replied.

“Operation Nerf Herder,” Zip repeated.

“Yes sir,” Moon said.

Zip nodded, “Any other news?”

“The rescue was completed successfully,” Moon said, “Commander Li and General R’sh are secured and uninjured.”

Zip nodded again, “Thank you for the message, Sergeant.  I’ll let you get back to your work.”

The Sergeant saluted and the holo cut off.  Zip stared at the emitter for a long moment, letting his brain settle itself out.  Then he nodded to the watch officer and headed out.  He had a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be interesting to get an idea of what Kara drew when she had a vision. So this is that.
> 
> Also, R'sh evolved in the telling of this story. Most notably that the original idea was that he was of the "meat clankers" thought group, but then I decided that it felt better to me if he were that way because of culture/genetic memories. R'sh's people are infamous for their inability to speak lies, which can include a difficulty in using names over designations.
> 
> R'sh, as noted, is working to handle that issue.
> 
>  
> 
> PS: If anyone feels inspired to draw Rusty, Chip, and Blaze as Kara did, I would feel like a million bucks. (Chip's tattoo, as previously mentioned, is the phrase "Wars don't make you great" in Gallifreyan. Although that's not what it's called in the SRR 'verse.)


End file.
